Article and Photos by: Charles Yamabe

Chicago, IL — By the time I reached Lincoln Hall it was packed like sardines. It wasn’t exactly what I had expected to walk into… to be honest I wasn’t sure what I was walking into? I had listened to Royal Blood many times, but this was my first time seeing them live.

The crowd was a mix of people in their mid twenties to mid thirties, all there to rock out.  A few minutes before Royal Blood appeared the rope was lifted and a rush of people surged towards the stage. This was Lollapalooza weekend and people were fueled by excitement, energy, and probably a little alcohol. Royal Blood made their appearance and the crowd went crazy!

The duo formed in Brighton went straight into their first song with the power of tsunami hitting a sand castle. The energy they exuded is unmatched by many four piece bands let alone a two piece band. It was truly a spectacle seeing two guys put on a rock show with only a bass guitar and a drum set. The crowd interaction was electric and at times almost overwhelming. Maybe it was the wall of people pushing me against the stage or maybe it was my long day at Lollapalooza, but I had four songs in me and it was time to leave. In the end I realized that the energy the band gives is almost matched by the energy that the crowd takes from you… But hey, that’s rock n roll!